


A Brotherly Duty

by khughes830



Category: Schitt's Creek
Genre: Do not read before watching, Gen, Post Ep The Presidential Suite, This is a total spoiler fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-26
Updated: 2020-02-26
Packaged: 2021-02-27 21:36:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,297
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22912594
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/khughes830/pseuds/khughes830
Summary: The day after.  Alexis needs someone who gets it, who also let someone go who was truly cared for.  Patrick wants to help Alexis, as a good brother should do.
Relationships: Alexis Rose & David Rose, Patrick Brewer & Alexis Rose, Patrick Brewer/David Rose
Comments: 16
Kudos: 193





	A Brotherly Duty

**Author's Note:**

> Last night was a punch to the gut. I got to thinking about Alexis. How she would maybe want someone who could relate - who did a hard and horrible thing for all the right reasons and someone who would know what she is feeling after it all ends. Patrick should be able to relate.

He wasn’t expecting the bell at this time. Sure, when they had first opened, people used to try to wander in before 9am. But now, every local knew. Sure, the occasional tourist would still come in, or try to, but for the most part, he had the place to himself from 8-9. Sometimes he used it to catch up on paperwork. Sometimes he cleaned and organized. Sometimes, like this morning, he just used it as a breather. A quiet space to think and be. Which is what he was doing when he heard the bell at 845 am. He thought about yelling that they weren’t open yet since he really didn’t feel like getting up from the desk where, to be honest, he was pouting a little bit after yesterday.

But the truth was, they were ready to open and why not go ahead and make a sale if he could. He pushed himself out of the chair and through the curtain. The person standing there was unexpected.

“Alexis?”

She gave him a weak smile. 

“Hi Patrick.”

“David isn’t here yet. He’s still at the apartment and he usually doesn’t…”

“Get here till 10. Yeah, I know. I actually wanted to talk to you, if you aren’t busy.”

She barely got the sentence out before the tears fell out of her eyes. Patrick moved toward her and as soon as he was close enough, she threw her arms around his shoulders, burying her head against him, letting everything she was feeling out. He did the only thing he could think of. He just held her while she cried. Normally, a crying female freaked him out. But here, with Alexis, he felt he had a duty. 

_ Like a brotherly duty. _

So he stood there, letting her cling to him while she cried it out.

Patrick only knew a little. David had gotten a late night SOS 911 text from Alexis and he left. He came back a few hours later, shell shocked. Patrick was half asleep when he got back and all David said was “Alexis and Ted broke up” before curling into him as close as he could get. 

“I’m sorry about Ted” he said quietly as he felt her sobs start to slow. She pulled back, nodding, pulling one hand free to wipe her face. Patrick moved to take a step back, but she grabbed his hands, like she needed an anchor to the ground. 

“Alexis?” He squeezed her hands. He could see the wheels spinning in her head. She looked in his eyes for the first time since stepping into the store. 

“You let someone go that you really cared about.”

Patrick sucked in a breath. Sure, he had spent a lot of time talking to David about Rachel. But he had never needed to talk to anyone else about it. He honestly didn’t know how the rest of the Rose family felt about that particular moment in time. He figured if there was a problem, David dealt with it. 

Seeing the look on Alexis’ face… well, he knew that look well. He realized that she needed someone who understood today. 

He nodded. “I did.”

“When did it stop hurting? Like how long does the weight on your chest feel like it is going to crush you?”

Patrick exhaled slowly. He remembers those first few weeks after leaving for good. After taking the cowards way out by calling Rachel when he was already an hour away from home. How part of him felt free for the first time in his life. But the other part of him felt like hell. He was hurting someone he truly cared about, even though he knew it was for the best. 

“You know, Alexis… I guess the truth is… it still hurts most days. It just gets easier with time. Like at first… all I thought about was Rachel and how bad it felt, not being with her anymore, even though I knew it was better for us in the long run. Until I met your brother, she was the person who knew me the best. She was my person. I mean, she was my best friend before we were officially a couple. Part of me still hurts when I think about her. But… it eventually fades into the background. Like one day, you’ll realize it’s been an hour since you’ve thought about Ted. And then it will be two. And then a whole day will go by and and you’ll be getting ready for bed and you’ll realize that you didn’t cry over him today. The truth is, it will always be there. He is an important part of your life, even half a world away. That doesn’t change just because the relationship ended. And I know that if you ever truly needed him that he would be there for you in a second. That kind of love doesn’t end. But it’s going to take some time.”

“Dammit, Patrick, I was hoping for one of your spreadsheet-y, time frame answers. Like, cry for the next two days and then you will be all done.”

He pulled her back in for a hug. “I wish heartbreak worked like running this store. Because if I could make this end for you in a couple of days, I totally would.”

“I know” she whispered, returning his hug.

Sure, there were some things he and David needed to deal with ASAP but suddenly pouting about spray tans and a couple of really ugly pictures didn’t seem as pressing anymore, not when Alexis needed help grieving the end of her relationship with Ted. 

He saw David coming toward the store, pausing as he walked up to the window. He stared at his sister in his arms and he could see the worry and sadness on David’s face. Alexis wasn’t the only one who had lost Ted. They all had. Schitt’s Creek was going to be a sad little place for awhile. 

“David’s here” he whispered. She quickly pulled out of the hug, running her hands over her face before turning toward her brother as he walked in the store. 

“I went to the motel to see if you wanted to get breakfast but you were gone.”

“Thanks, but I’m not hungry. I’m just going to have Twyla make me a smoothie and go back to the room. I didn’t get a lot of sleep last night. I might just take a nap or something.”

The worry washed over David’s face. Patrick could see him starting to freak out about Alexis. What would this do? Would she slip back into old habits? Would they need to start learning numbers to embassies around the world?

“Come over for dinner tonight” Patrick said, really as a statement and not a question. “Mom sent some lasagna. I’ll get one out, we can eat and drink and go for ice cream.”

Alexis nodded. “Yeah. Ok. That sounds nice.” Patrick could see the relief on David’s face that she was willing to be with them instead of in the solitude of the motel. 

Alexis shook out her hair and squared her shoulders. “Ok. It’s a new day. Time to get to work, I guess. You boys have a store to run. I’ll see you two later.” She bopped David on the nose and was out the door, leaving them staring at her retreating form. 

“Is she ok?” David asked, moving toward Patrick. Patrick grabbed him, pressing his lips hard against David’s. David threw his arms around Patrick’s shoulders, leaning in. 

“I’m sorry about yesterday,” David said quietly as they broke the kiss. Patrick shook his head.

“Yeah, we need to talk, but not today. Today, let’s just take care of your sister. We will figure out the rest tomorrow.”


End file.
